Leap Of Faith
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: Mark Hickman's comment about Andy cheating on his girlfriends affects Sharon more than Andy thought and after a much needed conversation, they both realize they have to take a leap of faith. An episode tag to 4x20 - Hindsight - Part 2


**A/N** **:** _This is based on Mark Hickman's comment about Andy cheating on his girlfriends in episode 4x20 - Hindsight - Part 2._

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Andy stared at his phone, reading the exchange of text messages between Sharon and him time after time after time. She was really angry with him, or upset, or disappointed, or probably all of those things at the same time. When Hickman made an appearance at the murder room and made casual comments about the different members of the squad, including one comment about Andy being a cheater and dating more than one woman at a time, Andy didn't think for a second that Sharon believed him. It was clear to him that Hickman was just looking to hurt the squad with the only ammunition that he could use in a room full of cops: words. It turned out that words could hurt just as much as a bullet to the heart. Oh, God, he was in a deep mess now and Sharon wouldn't even let him explain his side of things.

Even though Sharon ended their text exchange with an abrupt 'Goodnight', Andy decided to give her a call. He simply couldn't go to bed knowing that she was so upset. He didn't even know why what Hickman said bothered her so much. Hickman was a known liar, and one who couldn't even tell the truth in court. Why did she even believe the horse's ass? He hoped that she would pick up the phone, even if she didn't want to and he was relieved when he heard her voice.

"Sharon," he uttered her name softly. "I know you don't want to talk about it, but I don't want you to be upset. I really want us to talk about what Hickman said." He heard Sharon sighing deeply.

"Andy, this is not a conversation for the phone," she replied.

"I can come over," he offered and Sharon sighed again.

"Is this something we really need to talk about tonight?" she wondered.

"I won't be able to sleep knowing that you're angry with me. Please let me come over," Andy rarely begged for anything, but he thought in this case, the end justified the means.

"Yeah, sure. Come over," Sharon replied before she ended the call.

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Sharon had tea ready when he arrived, and Andy was glad that he had the sense to stop by their favorite bakery and buy two big pieces of Sharon's favorite white chocolate cheesecake. Sharon didn't have much of a sweet tooth, certainly not as much as Chief Johnson had, but she always seemed calmer after consuming some comforting sugary dessert. The lights in the living room were dim and soft instrumental music was playing in the background. Sharon seemed distant as they sat at the dining table and Andy decided to give her a moment to arrange her thoughts, as he arranged his. He watched her for a long moment before he finally found the words he wanted to say.

"I hate seeing you this way," he started. "And I want you to know that what Hickman said is not true, and never was." Sharon took a long sip of her tea.

"I'm aware of your record with women," she said, her voice passive.

"Sharon, what you're talking about are rumors," Andy said.

"Are they?" Sharon asked and her sarcastic tone could not be mistaken.

"You know what? Tell me what you heard, and I'll tell you if it's true," Andy said. He hoped that once she says the words she will realize how stupid it sounded and how untrue the rumors were. She shook her head. "Okay, then I'll tell you what the rumors say. They say that I slept with every women who seemed decent enough to screw," he watched Sharon as she cringed at the profanity he said. "And they also say that I dated several women at the same time. Hell, I even heard one rumor that said I participated in orgies on a regular basis." He noticed the deep redness that crept up Sharon's neck and face. "Look, Sharon, I'm not going to deny that I've dated a lot of women."

"It's really none of my business," Sharon began to get up, but Andy placed his hand on her shoulder and she sank back into her chair.

"You're upset and you have doubts about my fidelity, so it is your business," Andy said. "All the women I've been with were one night stands, or one week stands on occasion. They meant nothing to me, and they knew it," Andy said. "And I don't know why you would chose to believe a lowlife like Hickman." Sharon took another long sip of her tea and then looked downwards. When she raised her gaze, her eyes were full of tears.

"You know, I married Jack when I was 19 years old. I loved him so deeply, Andy, and I thought he loved me too. About 2 weeks before our wedding, I heard a rumor that he's been seeing other women. I didn't believe it, and I didn't even think of asking him about it. I didn't want to act like a needy, jealous fiancée," Sharon said. "Two months after we got married, I came home and found him in bed with another woman. He apologized and said it was a slip up, and he promised it would never happen again. And you know what? It did. It happened half a dozen times before the year was over," Sharon said, and the tears streamed down her face.

"That's horrible," Andy said. "And I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"If I listened to the rumors and him asked about it, maybe I wouldn't have wasted my best years on a man who didn't love me enough to stay faithful to me," she sighed. "And Andy, there are rumors about you too, and I am terrified that if I don't listen to them, I may end up making the same mistake I made all those years ago with Jack," she admitted.

"I understand, Sharon. And I can see why you would have serious trust issues going into this relationship. But you know me. I am not like Jack. I am sober, and I am faithful, and I love you so much. There is no one else for me in this entire world, and I want you to know that." Andy reached out and wiped her tears.

"Jack said these things too," Sharon replied, but let him cup her face.

"Sharon, if I didn't care about you and about our relationship, I wouldn't be here tonight. I am here, because that's where I want to be. I can't change the things I've done in the past, but I can promise you a future. And I want so badly to be part of your future. I want you to be part of mine." Sharon let out a cry-hiccup and then nodded slowly. Andy thought it was safe to draw close to her and press a small kiss to her lips.

"I'm sorry for not trusting you, Andy," she said as she wrapped her arms around him. He nodded slowly before he gently pushed the plate with the cake towards her.

"Can you promise me something too?" he asked as Sharon dug her teaspoon into the sweet treat. She nodded slowly. "Trust should be mutual, and for people like us, who've been through some crap in our past relationships, it's even more important. If we want to establish trust, we have to be honest with each other, and we can't run and hide when things get rough. So please promise me that the next time something comes up, if you have any issue with me, please talk to me and don't shut me out. Can you do that?" he asked.

"Yes, Andy. And I am so sorry for trying to avoid you. I'm glad you insisted that we talk," Sharon admitted. "I feel so much better now." Andy smiled at her and grabbed his mug.

"How about one more cup of tea before we call it a night?" he offered. Sharon nodded and handed him her mug, following him to the kitchen and watching him as he shuffled through her cupboards until he found Sharon's favorite infusion. He was just done pouring water into the first mug when he felt Sharon's arms engulfing him from behind.

"Andy, how about you stay the night?" she offered.

"Really?" He turned around to face her. She hummed in response. "Are you sure? I don't want to rush you to do anything."

"I trust you to make sure I won't regret it tomorrow morning," she teased him and pulled him down for a kiss. There were many ways to say 'I love you', and Sharon's offer to spend the night was definitely one of them.

THE END

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 **As always, I'd love to know what you think about this story, so feel free to leave a review or send me a PM.**


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